After reading the note, Adrien abruptly grabbed his belongings and move to the abandoned seat in the back row, next to where Marinette would have been. Although Ms. Bustier scolded him for disobeying her once more, Adrien insisted he would have to be dragged away or tied up to sit next to Lila any longer. All he wanted was to sit with his girlfriend. It wasn't such of an outlandish request to deny.
Begrudgingly, Ms. Bustier agreed, though she claimed she would speak with him later about his rudeness toward Lila. Adrien merely rolled his eyes, keeping quiet as he hid in the back. He would just pass the time forming a defensive plan until his beloved returned.
When Marinette came back twenty minutes later, she hid her flinch but still scrunched up nose. Remaining silent as she returned to her seat, only a moment passed before she felt a slip of paper slide into her hand. Marinette kept her facial expressions under control as she read the warning note.
From that moment on, the couple were much more cautious about their activity. During the school day, if Cerise was anywhere near, they refused to speak unless absolutely necessary. Their classmates didn't notice their change in behavior, for they were too preoccupied with the 'fabulous' 'Lila'.
Of course, once his home was secure, Adrien warned his father of the threat directed toward Paw Noir and Ladybug. Concerned about the villain's new approach, Gabriel suggested limiting how often they use their Miraculous to avoid unwanted attention. Gabriel assured he would keep out of the media while running his fashion business. After all, there was a 'little' secret he didn't want the Supreme to exploit.
After weeks of trying, Nathalie was finally pregnant.
Somehow, Adrien overshadowed his mixed emotions by smiling softly at his father and step-mother, politely congratulating them on their news. Adrien was sincerely happy for them, but there was something that made him not be vocal like his father hoped or wanted.
This emotion . . . was it jealousy? Because his father was starting a new family so soon? Anger . . . because his father moved on from his mother so easily?
Adrien truly tried to bury those feelings. Nathalie was an amazing woman and was so caring toward him and his father. There was no doubt that she genuinely loved his father . . . but Nathalie wasn't his mother. That simple fact is something Adrien may never get over.
To distract himself from the pregnancy news, Adrien spent more of his time with Marinette, using the excuse that he needed to stay close to protect her. His father allowed it, but promised, if Adrien wanted to talk, he would listen without any hesitation and without being upset about what he may say.
So, as he helped Marinette in the bakery or with homework, Adrien went over a thousand different scenarios on how the conversation could go. Every single one had either his father being disappointed, his father divorcing Nathalie, or Adrien being disowned resulting in him being kicked out and never getting the chance to own a pet hamster.
When informed of his conundrum, Marinette admittedly laughed at how ridiculous he was being. Although she insisted repeatedly that he was letting negative thoughts get the best of him, Marinette offered to be there when or if the dreaded conversation should take place. She playfully teased about bringing him back to Paris once his mind wondered in space.
Despite such a generous offer, Adrien chose to suffer through the thought of what could be instead of experiencing the results for himself.
One Saturday evening, a particularly busy day at the bakery, as the couple and Marinette's father finished cleaning and preparing pastries for the next day, none of them realized it was nearly midnight until Gabriel called the bakery phone. He had been so worried when it became so late and his son wasn't answering his own cellphone, which Adrien kept on silent while he worked. Tom apologized profusely for not keeping better track of time and offered to have Adrien stay the night, so he didn't have to travel so far at a dangerous time of night.
That started what became known as the 'weekend routine'. Friday evening, Marinette would receive advice and help on her fashion design as she stayed the night. Staying at the Dupain residence, Adrien would help at the bakery Saturday evening and Sunday morning. To finish off the weekend, Sunday evening the two families would come together for a joyful dinner. The weekend became a time where both families could be happy and forget all their worries.
That is, until Cerise decided to team up with Chloe to bully Marinette.
The first few incidents were simple. Any time Marinette would walk past either one of them, they would inconspicuously hold out their feet for her to trip over. She'd regain her balance quickly, but the evil duo still found it entertaining, nonetheless. Once the two became bored with that, they decided to step it up by playing nasty tricks in the cafeteria.
Of course, those schemes could only be done when Marinette didn't work in the bakery. She only ate with her classmates twice a week, so the duo had to be a lot more direct. Since she was the best and most convincing liar, 'Lila' would 'accidentally' bump into the pig-tailed girl, making Marinette drop her tray of food nearly every time. The school chefs refused to allow Marinette another tray, especially after accusing innocent Lila of doing it on purpose when she has involuntary muscle spasms. This continued for weeks with Marinette forcing herself to stay quiet.
But when Cerise dumped her tray all over Marinette's newly sewn dress, Adrien had enough.
With nearly the entire school and faculty crammed into the cafeteria, Adrien berated her for being such a bully toward Marinette. He declared that she was a pathological liar, fooling everyone into thinking she was Lila Rossi when she was really a nobody named Cerise.
Like the flip of a switch, Lila turned on the waterworks again, playing the role of the victim once more. While teachers and students alike consoled her, Mr. Damocles became enraged, ordering Adrien to leave the school property and not return until the next day, where he would be expected to apologize to the young lady for his harmful words. Fuming in rage, Adrien did leave, but only because his beloved pleaded with him, so the scene created wouldn't become any worse—
Instead becoming the worse idea Marinette ever had.
Due to being denied the chance to run home for a quick change of clothes, Marinette spent the rest of lunch and a large portion of the next class period trying to salvage what she could of her dress. Eventually giving up, Marinette glumly grabbed her belongings and reluctantly trudged up the staircase back to her classroom—
Not surprised to see liar 'Lila' and conniving Chloe blocking her path at the top, as though they had been waiting for her the entire time.
Upon first glance of the duo, Marinette noticed their brand-new jewelry that they definitely weren't wearing before. Cerise wore a necklace in the shape of a fox tail while Chloe had a golden bee hair comb tucked tightly at the base of her high ponytail.
Tensing up at a horrible feeling passing through her, Marinette kept her guard up as she spat, "What do you two want from me now? Was getting Adrien kicked out not enough?"
"That was just the beginning," Cerise claimed with a sly smirk. "With him out of the way, it's two against one."
"Pollen," Chloe called out, "sting on!"
"Trixx," Cerise chanted, "let's feast."
Frozen in shock, Marinette could only watch in horror as the two teens transformed thanks to the power of their given Miraculous. Cerise now wore an orange and white jump suit, a long sash around her waist to mimic a fox tail, and tall matching ears on top. In her hand was a matching orange and white flute. Marinette already knew her powers were illusion thanks to her trip across universes.
As for Chloe, she now wore an all-black jumpsuit with yellow stripes, hair blackish-gray with yellow streaks, and skin dusty yellow. In her hand was a black and yellow spinning top. Although it didn't look the same as seen before, Marinette didn't doubt the power to immobilize enemies were any different.
"How do you like our new look?" Cerise wondered as her sly smirk grew even more villainous. "The Supreme was very generous when he gave me my Miraculous. He even allowed me to recruit Queen Wasp as an ally. I don't know why you would ever leave his side."
Somehow, Marinette managed to keep her composure as she fibbed, "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of this 'Supreme' before."
Chlo—Queen Wasp scoffed at the ridiculous claim. "You are a terrible liar compared to Volpina," she insisted. "The Supreme told us all the chaos you and Adrien created together."
"As Claw Noir," Volpina continued, gripping her flute tighter, almost like she was preparing for her next move. "And Shadybug."
Marinette tensed at the name she now loathed so much. "We gave those aliases up a while ago," she declared. "We don't want to use our Miraculous for evil anymore, but to help people, to do good."
"Even though the Supreme praises you so much?" Volpina wondered, the smirk turning into a scowl. "He claimed you and Adrien were the best users he's ever chosen to have a Miraculous. He was going to give you everything you ever wanted, and yet you two betrayed him by joining sides with the man that stole the Butterfly and the Peacock."
"The Supreme didn't tell you everything," Marinette warned, slowly backing up to create some distance. That was hard to do, considering her back was now pressed against the railing. "Because we were using the Miraculous for malicious purposes, our powers were destroying us. If we hadn't chose to become good, we would have died weeks ago. If you're not careful, the same could happen to you."
"We've been warned before," Volpina revealed. "But we're not pathetic enough to change sides because of a little pain."
Surprising herself, Marinette found herself smiling. "Adrien and I didn't just change sides because of the pain." Pausing so she could take the opportunity to balance on top the railing to get further away, Marinette stood proud, proclaiming, "We changed sides because for the first time in a really, really, long time, we felt what it was like for someone to care. We met people who went through nearly the same trauma as us, who told us how they got through it, and we did so together. Most importantly, we fell in love. Shadybug and Claw Noir were created from our pain and was buried when our pain no longer existed. Ladybug and Paw Noir was born from our love for each other, and that will never fade away."
Queen Wasp scoffed at the end of the long sappy speech. "Your disgusting love isn't going to save you now." Spinning the top, she shouted, "Venom!"
Eyes widening, Marinette called out, "Tikki—"
"Too late!"
Hand transforming into an overgrown stinger, Queen Wasp struck Marinette's leg before she could finish her chant. With that single sting, Marinette was frozen in place, unable to move a single muscle or utter a single sound. She was completely helpless.
Volpina laughed maniacally at the fallen hero's impending fate. "No amount of love can save you now."
With those final words, Volpina swung her flute hard into Marinette's stomach, knocking her from the high ledge to her waited death.
Or, so they believed.